This is National Preparedness Month, a time when residents are reminded to have a plan for responding to natural disasters and community emergencies. Personal safety takes top priority should an event occur. Be certain you and your family know how to respond and where to go when danger arises.

Medicare supplements (also called Medigap) help with deductibles, coinsurance and co-payments not paid by Medicare. Open enrollment lasts six months from the first day of the month you turn 65 and are enrolled in Part B. There are a variety of options.

Illinois is a modified comparative negligence state, which means more than one driver can be responsible an accident. A driver may contribute to a crash without being cited for a traffic violation. The other driver's insurance company may offer 80% of your damages if your action (or inaction) contributed to the crash.

Experts suggest over half the homes in the United States are underinsured by an average of twenty percent. Insurance companies offer a variety of add-ons, and some provide dwelling limit protections. An endorsement changes the terms of the policy. This may add to the cost of the policy or require the home to be insured for its full replacement cost.

Homeowners buy property insurance to share the financial burden of rebuilding or repairing damage from sudden and unexpected loss with an insurance company. Not having the right amount of coverage on the dwelling could result in a claim settlement far below the cost to repair or rebuild. Consider the following tips to get the right dwelling coverage limit.